| FTBL Good article on the spread

[Argo]

To be honest, I ran across that video the other day and have been looking to post it somewhere.

:lol: i do the same thing sometimes. :lol:

Argo and Bo,

in none of the articles on this topic has any writer or coach advocated any particular scheme in defending the spread. instead, the issue has been size, weight, speed, and endurance. that's it.

so you have to ask yourself, if we do play a 3-3-5 against the spread (or any other scheme for that matter), what ought to be the size of our D-front? are we better served with D-linemen over 300 lbs or under? are we better served with our DEs being over 270 lbs or under? are we better served with our LBs being over 240 or under?

your responses seemed to be overly preoccupied with scheme when the only issue i and the other writers and coaches have raised is size and speed.

I understand what your saying. I can't find the words to comfort you in your quest of knowledge against the spread, so I'm just going to list the 2005 Bama starting defense. These guys were pretty danged good against the spread and completely shut down UF and Texas Tech that year.

DE. Mark Anderson - 6-5 / 253
NT. Jeremy Clark - 6-3 / 305
DE. Wallace Gilberry - 6-3 / 254

OLB. Juwan Simpson - 6-3 / 222
MLB. Freddie Roach - 6-2 / 248
OLB. Demeco Ryans - 6-2 / 232

CB. Anthony Madison - 5-9 / 180
FS. Roman Harper - 6-1 / 200
SS. Charlie Peprah - 6-0 / 200
NB. Simeon Castille - 6-1 / 188
CB. Ramzee Robinson - 5-9 / 190

The glaring difference(weight wise) between the '05 team and the '08 team is at DE. Other than that, I'd say we match up almost the same at every other position.

 

[musso]

The glaring difference(weight wise) between the '05 team and the '08 team is at DE. Other than that, I'd say we match up almost the same at every other position.

if you look at who Saban has brought in thus far to play NT, it is evident that he intends the NT to be well above 300 lbs. verbals Fluker and Dial are already above 300 heading into their final HS season.

based on the final scrimmage, the probable 2008 starting four LBs will be:

Reamer 6-4 218
McClain 6-4 249
Hightower 6-4 250
Fanney 6-4 257

i could see the kind of offensive skill players Clemson has having a fun time in open spaces against our D-front. pursuit angles and playing as a unit will be most critical against teams like Clemson, especially with 250-pound LBs on the field.

 

[RollTide80]

I didn't mean to rile anything up (if I did). I'm just intrigued by Tony Franklin after watching so many High Schools run the system. Speed is the key, and not player speed per say, but the tempo of the game. Confusion on the part of the defense is what has made his system successful so far. I think it probably explains why they gave a team like Georgia so many fits last year. Troy's players weren't that talented compared to any SEC team, much less Georgia. It's NOT like it's some magical offensive scheme, we all know that's BS, Auburn will probably be lucky to go 8-4 again.